Arrangement for producing complementary visual and audisle exhibitions



July 24-, 19233.

G. K. THOMPSON ARRANGEMENT FOR PRODUCING COMPLEMENTARY VISUAL AND AUDIBLE EXHIBITIONS Filed April 11, 1922 uunnuunuu ounuunuuu INVENTOR. 6%]740 OSUM BY g W Q%& (00 q M) ATTORNfi Patented July 24, E923,

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GEORGE K. THOMFSON, 01F MAPLEWDOD, NEW JERSEY, ABBIG'NOE 'IO AMERICAN TELE- PHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MEANGEMEIWE FOB PBOD'UGING COMPLEMENTARY lTIbUAL AND AUDIBLE EXHIBITIONS.

.Applicatten mes A ril it, 1922. serial in. terms.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnomes K. THoMrsoN, residin at Maplewood in the county of Essex an State of New jersey have invented a certain Improvements ,in Arrangements for Producin Complementary Visual and Audible Exhibitions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to arrangements for to producing at onev or more branch stations visual and audible exhibitions complementary to each other and for controlling said exhibitions from a master station.

With the arrangements of the invention it a visual exhibition, such as a moving picture display, may be iven at one or more branch stations and tal or music complementary to and in synchronism with said icture display may be transmitted to said ranch sta- 20 tion, or stations, from a central or master station. Such an arrangement would permit a speaker to deliver an address to an 5 audience at one or more distant points and at the same time a moving picture of the as speakers depicting the actual delivery of the address might be given complementary to said address. It is a feature of the invention that the control of all of the performances resides in the master station as 80 will be pointed out more fully in the detailed description hereinafter given.

The invention may be more fully understood from the following description toembodiment 6f the invention.

In the drawing there is illustrated a line L inter-connecting a master station A with a branch station B. Other lines, such as to line L leading to another branch station C, might also be provided at station A. The apparatus for producing the complementar visual and audible exhibitions at the brane stations will be the same and only that at it station B will be described. At station E is shown a picture projecting machine 1 including the film 2 upon the reels 3 and 3, a lens t, and a motor 13 for driving the apparatus. The picture would be projected 60 upon a screen 5. Located at'a suitable place such as behind the screen, would be one or more loud speaking receivers, such as 6. The loud speaker 6 is connected to an amplisprocket wheels mounted on a drum 19. The

drum 19 isdriven by shaft 19' through the gears 18 and 17 bythe motor 16. Associated with the sheet 20 is a pointer which travels laterally from left to right just above the printed line.- This travelling pointer points to each word of each succeedin line as the muted sheet 20 passes over t e drum 19.

he drlving mechanism 24 for the pointer 25 1s geared directly throu h gears 21, 22 and 23 to the driving mec anism for the perforated sheet 20 so that the relative speeds of the latter and the pointer may be constant. Suitable cam mechanism. (not shown) may be provided on shaft 19' and drum 19 to cause the drum to revolve in an intermittent manner so that the sheet may be moved up a space each time the pointer reaches the end of a line. The motors 16 and 13 are operated in synchronism with g each other in any well known manner, the

gether with the accompanying drawing in 35 the figure of which is illustrated a preferred circuits 15, 14 andI line L being provided for this purpose. The control circuit including circuits 14 and 15 may be composited with the telephone line L as shown, or regulation may be accomplished over a separate circuit. The motor 16 at the master station A controls the starting and speed of the motors, such as 13, at all of the branch stations.

- The operation of the system is as follows: The speaker is first rehearsed as to the speed of his delivery and as to the ease with which he follows the movement of the pointer. When the normal speed of the speakers delivery is determined the synchronizing indicator device consistin of the sheet and pointer and motor 16 is set for that speed. A. moving picture is then taken of the speaker standin in front of the transmitter 12 and while de ivering his speech from the sheet'20 as the pointer 25 indicates. It is understood, of course, that these latter elements will not be included in the film. The speed of the motion picture camera at this instant is controlled by the motor 16, so that the negative obtained will be in synchronlsm with the speed of the s eakers delivery, and the various positions 0 the pointer. A'positive film is then made a and taken to the branch station B and placed in the picture projecting machine and adjusted to start in synchromsm with the printed sheet at the master station, that is, when the pointer at station A'points, let us say, to the first word of the Salutation, Ladies and gentlemen, the picture before the lens at station B will disclose the speaker in the act of I speaking the first word of the Salutation. If,

now, both mechanisms are started and maintained in synchronism by the motor 16 at the master station and the s eaker speaks the words indicated by the pointer 25, a talking moving picture will be produced at branch station Speed varying ad uStments, if required, may be made at the branch station to take care of any lag in the line or on the partof the speaker. The efiectiveness of the system will depend primarily upon the care with which the speaker follows the pointer 25. It is not necessary, however, for the speaker to be in absolute s nchronism with the moving picture mac ine. The movement of the lips is made up of a. series of pictures, 16 to the foot. It'ha's been found that two or three pictures may be cut out of a talking moving picture film without seriously affecting the synchronism. This margin could be increased possibly by taking, say, 25 pictures per foot, instead of the usual 16. By means of the above described arrangements it would be possible to transmit speeches in such cases where the speaker would be willing to adapt himelf to the synchronizing indicator, comprising the printed sheet and pointer and associated mechanism, and follow it with reasonable closeness.

' 'It is pointed out that the arrangements of the invention might readily be utilized for the transmission of music and singing adapt-- ed to be complementary to a picture display, as the movement of the pointer 25 in such cases would become a" true beat indicator to the musician. The proposed arrangement would lenditself articularly to the transmission of music rom large orchestras under the control of a leader who 'could accurately time and control the performance from the synchronizing indicator mechanism. The music produced by soloists with accompanying chorus could also be transmitted effectively. In these latter cases quite a latitude could be allowed in the matter of synchronism as compared with the near view of a speaker and his moving lips.

indicator mechanism deemed desirable it is understood that it is capable of embodiment in many and widely varied forms without departin from the spirit of the invention as define by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An arrangement for simultaneously producing visual and audible exhibitions com'prisin a plurality of branch stations having te ephonic apparatus and motion picture apparatus thereat, and a master station including means for regulating the operation of the moving picture apparatus at said branch stations, transmitting means cooperatingwith the telephonic apparatus at said branch stations, and means controlled by said regulating means for directing the operation of said transmitting means.

2. A system for simultaneously producing visual and audible exhibitions at a station, comprising telephonic and motion picture apparatus at said station, and a second station including means for regulating the operation of the moving picture apparatus at said first station, transmitting means cooperating with the telephonic apparatus at said first station, and means controlled by said regulatin means for directing the operation of sai transmitting means.

3. A system for simultaneously producing visual and audible exhibitions at a station,

eration of the moving picture apparatus at said first station, transmitting means cooperating with the telephonic apparatus at said first station, and means controlled by said regulating means for givin a visual indication of the manner in w ich said transmittin means should be operated, so that said te e honic and motion picture apparatus at sald first station will operate in synchronism.

4:. A system for simultaneously producing visual and audible exhibitions at a station, comprising telephonic and motion picture apparatus at saidstation, and a second station including means for regulating the operation of the moving picture apparatus at said first station, transmitting means cooperating With the telephonic apparatus at said first station, a message sheet with a pointer cooperating with the characters thereon, and'means controlled by said regulating means for controlling said pointer and said message sheet whereby a visual indication may be given of the manner in operated so that said tele honic and motion picture apparatus at sai first station will operate insynchronisrn.

5. A system for simultaneously producin visual and audible exhibitions at a station, comprising tele honic and motion picture apparatus at sald station, and a second station including means for regulating the operation of the moving picture apparatus at w saidfirst station, transmitting means cooperating with the telephonic apparatus at said first station, and a mechanism at said second station synchronized with the motion picture at said first station for giving a visual indication of the operation of said picture.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 10th day of April 1922.

GEORGE K. THOMPSON. 

